Why is Your Loft Conversion So Cold? 5 Ways to Heat Up Your Freezing Loft

Is your loft freezing cold? Well, some people struggle with their lofts being too cold during winter months. If you are also wondering why your loft conversion is so cold, it is due to an issue with your insulation. 

A cold loft conversion can be annoying, and maintaining the exact temperature in a loft can be tricky sometimes. There are several reasons why your loft conversion might feel cold, and fortunately, there are also many ways to address the issue. 

Common Causes For The Loft Conversion to be Cold

• Insufficient Insulation: Due to its position at the top of the house and is generally exposed to the various elements from multiple sides, loft conversions are often subjected to several fluctuations in the temperature and leads to poor insulation.

• Draughts and Air Leaks: Usually, loft conversions have several windows, such as dormer windows, or skylights, which allows cold air to pass through the gaps or through poorly fitted frames.

• Inadequate Heating: Insufficient heating happens when loft conversions are not properly connected to the heating system of home, or maybe your system is not powerful enough to heat the space effectively and efficiently.

• Poor Ventilation: If proper insulation and heating are necessary, then effective and good ventilation is also very important to remove the dampness and condensation that makes the space colder, and this happens due to poor ventilation.

• Thin Flooring: If the flooring of your loft is not well-insulated, it will make the room chilly, especially during winters.

• Orientation and External Exposure: Your loft conversion will be naturally colder, if it faces north or is exposed to the wind.

• Poor Roofing: A loft conversion with an old roof or built with poor roofing materials will lose its integrity, this makes it easy for the heat to escape.

• Cold Bridges: Thermal bridges occur when materials used in your loft construction allows the heat to escape through it. For example, metal conducts the heat out of space, thus making the place feel more colder.

• Insufficient Loft Hatch Insulation: If the loft hatch that leads to your conversion is not well-insulated, then it acts as a source of heat loss, thus, making the space much colder.

If you want to check how your insulation is working in keeping your roof warm during winters, you can take a walk around the loft room and try locating the cold spots, so that you could find solutions to warm up your loft.

Nevertheless, if you have a good quality of insulation installed and is working well at your home but you are still struggling with the cold, then you should try a variety of different handy tips to warm up your loft.

Tips and Tricks to Warm Up Your Lofts

Following are some insightful recommendations that you can opt for keeping your attics warm, depending on your property and budget. Let’s dive deep to understand each one of them:

• Adding more double or triple glazed windows:

  
  
  Glazed windows play a big role in keeping your loft warm, just like double and triple glazing can protect your home from extreme heat during summers, similarly, it also keeps your home warm during winters as well. Double window glazing prevents the transferring of heat from the gap between the two window panes. Double glazing of windows works efficiently, but if your loft still gets cold you can upgrade it to triple glazing for more heating effect.

• Choosing the right type of blinds:

  
  

  • Blinds have the tendency to warm your loft by keeping the heat intact inside the home. Blinds work efficiently and do a great job when combined with double or triple glazing. However, to prevent the warm air from getting leaked through the gaps, blinds should be of the right size and fitted well as these are the most effective at keeping the heat in.
  • Nonetheless, blackout blinds work great at keeping the warmth in as they are quite thick. 

• Installing more radiators: 

  
  

  • The best way to keep your loft warm is by installing more than one radiator in the room. When two or more radiators are combined, they can heat up your room quickly by giving you full control over the temperature of your loft. However, as radiators are usually connected to the central heating system, so, it is ultimately necessary to ensure that your heating system should be highly-powered enough to accommodate the radiators before installing them.
  • In addition, some people have small loft spaces at their homes, fortunately, the latest models of radiators are very slim and compact modern structures such as flat panel radiators, which do not take much space in the room. 

• Considering underfloor heating:

  
  

  • Though, underfloor heating is a big investment to keep your loft warm but it comes with several benefits. One such big advantage of installing it is that it can be used separately from the central heating system. Therefore, if you have a cold loft, you can put the underfloor heating temperature up higher leaving the rest of the house. As it covers the whole floor area, so there will not be any cold spots left where the heat cannot reach.
  • Usually underfloor heating is fit for loft bathrooms, but you can also use it with various other flooring types, such as carpet. Oftenly, it is used to warm hard floors, which gets chilled during winter months.

Note: If you are prepared to make such a big investment in keeping your loft warm, then underfloor heating can be a perfect option you can take into consideration, else, you can also try other affordable options before you make a massive investment. 

• Decorating the loft with soft furnishing: 

  
  

  • Including soft furnishings in your loft room can be added to keep it warm. For example, a large and thick rug, throws, cushions, and weighted blankets can make your loft warm extra bit toastier, as these are effective to keep a room with hard floors warm as it adds an extra layer of insulation. However, you can also opt for wool products and fleece as these are also effective.

Note: Adding soft furnishings will not make any big difference compared to other options discussed above.

After reading this article, you might have got an idea of why your loft is so cold and what measures you can take to keep it warm and toasty. 

There are several insulation types available which work great for winters such as mineral wool, and fibreglass. If you are getting confused about which insulation type will work great according to your property, it is suggested to speak to a professional. Moreover, if you are already looking for best loft conversion specialists near you, you can visit our website or download our Urban Gaffa App to find, consult, or hire authentic builders for installing insulation at your home.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q: How much should I have to pay for building a loft conversion?

A: The estimated total cost for building a loft conversion ranges from £20,000 or over, depending on the design, type, size, and complexity of the conversion. A properly maintained loft conversion enhances a property value up to 20% to 25%.

A: Generally, a Velux conversion is the most affordable way to convert a loft by adding skylights or roof lights to an attic without making any major changes. 

• Conversion Cost: The approximate cost for a 20 m2 loft range from £17,000 to £25,500. The conversion cost depends on the number of roof lights you are adding, loft size,  or any additional features. 
• Benefit of Velux Conversion: This conversion is quicker and cost-efficient than other types of conversions which means that there will be lowest labour cost and less wastage of material.

Q: Can a builder do a loft conversion?

A: Yes, a builder can build a loft conversion. While choosing a reliable expert loft conversion specialist, you should consider the following: 

• Experience Level

• Rapport 

• Licence and Insurance

• Reviews and Ratings

In addition, before beginning with a loft conversion project, it is necessary to get the permit from your local authority or a private body.

A: Generally, building a loft conversion takes between 4 to 12 weeks to complete, depending on the following factors: 

• Conversion Type

• Planning permission

• Weather conditions

• Structural calculations

• Loft stairs

• Complexity of the project

• Size of the project

• Current layout of your home

• Challenges faced during conversions

However, summer and spring months are considered to be the best time of the year to build a loft conversion.

A: Yes, loft conversions enhance the property value by 20% and provide extra space that can be used as a storage. However, if you plan to sell your house in future, adding a loft can provide a good return on investment.